Maybe what you need right now is not a mate (maybe sometime later) but good friends who will hold your hand during the difficult times.

Give yourself time to heal, discover your own voice and own sense of who you are. Discover your gifts Then you will not be abused again. Therapists help a lot, divorce recovery groups. Spiritual directors can help. Seek them out.

I hear your saddness… people care, God cares.

Once we have messed up faces people seem to shun us and of course the organizations that have secrets add to the attacking regularly.

Any advice.

I am a devoted Christian physician who recently graduated medical school and I am now training to be a plastic surgeon. For years- in fact, even during the beginning of medical school- I was of the opinion that all of Plastic Surgery was not of God. I NEVER even considered entering the field. But things changed when I learned more about the field and I realized I had artistic ability with my hands.

There are a few things that most people don’t know about plastic surgery and should be familiar with.

First, Plastic Surgery has two major components, cosmetic and reconstructive. The former we are all familiar with. The later however, involves in a broad sense restoring damaged or altered aspects of the body (via genetics, trauma, disease, etc) that are usually not the result of normal aging. This includes things like cleft lip and palate repair, removal of excess skin after massive weight loss, pinning back of prominent ears, skin grafts, facial fractures and lacerations, scar revisions, coverage of massive tissue loss (eg., mastectomy, trauma), hand surgery (a big field most forget about), etc. etc.

Purely changing aspects of the body to alter the course of aging or to make a body part that is “normal” look better is what I call Cosmetic Surgery.

The big problem with Plastic Surgery is what people are defining as “normal”. Of course Hollywood and the World think anything less than perfect is not “normal”. I can tell you that the patients I have seen in consultation and in the operating room are some of the most psychologically complex patients in all of medicine (and quite often unstable). Some have become so convinced and brainwashed that a certain aspect of their body is not “normal” that their identity and self-worth are all balanced on the potential of a scalpel. That is sin. And we know that from Scripture because our value comes from Him and we are all beautiful in His eyes.

Leo (39493) who commented just before me expressed it well when he talked about doing it for the right reasons and with the right motives.

In short, if the bags over your eyes block your peripheral vision, or you want breast reconstruction after mastectomy, or like Leo you have a damaged nose from childhood acne I WOULD likely do your surgery (remembering even the Christian Plastic Surgeon has to be in prayer about what he/she does or does not do). If you want an augmentation or a tummy tuck to fit into a bikini this summer, or your want your crows feet removed from the corner of your eyes because they make you look your age, I WOULD NOT likely do your surgery. You are a beautiful expression of the blessed years God has given you!

Of course my simple little scenario above is not meant to condemn anyone who undergoes Cosmetic Surgery of their choosing. God knows your heart and your motives. ALWAYS REMEMBER– He loves you the same before and after the scalpel ever touches your skin.

God Bless you all!
Doctor B

Cosmetic Surgery is one of those things which is quite hard to discern,,, I spose if they had cosmetic surgery clinics back in Jesus’ times and Jesus commented on it then it would make it a lot easier so,, how do we discern it?

Keep it biblical…

Do all to the glory of God… We must at all times do evertything to the glory of God,,, otherwise we become fakes… Always trust,, always obey.. you cant live a good christian life outside these rules (Noones perfect though) Whatsoever is not of faith is sin…… Doing things of faith is when you do things wholeheartedly toward God,, You’ll know when you’re working of faith because youll have a peace,, a stillness within you which strengthens your actions,, this is when you feel like God is empowering you.. And he is….. Youll notice that when God is working,, there is no guile or thinking twice about what you are doing,, you see to produce fruit of the spirit all you need to do is holdfast to God the true vine,, like he says,, seek ye first the kingdom of God and everything will be added unto you…..

But you see.. the thing is. God wants us to look the best we can,, but not be preoccupied with ourselves. As christians we should think of ourselves the way God thinks of us.. its about changing our opinion of ourselves to what he thinks of us,, not about what we think of ourselves….. So.. If you’re gonna get cosmetic surgery.. Make sure it is of faith.. Make sure you believe that God is behind you every step of the way…. Just know that God did not create the perfect image you are trying to equate your body too.. That’s what the media did…… As we all know satan is the prince of the airwaves…. So I think the main thing here is just that you should remember to draw near to God,, then he’ll tell you what to do.. It’s actually up to you whether you get plastic surgery or not.. And the subject of beauty i’s something which can cause conusion within the kingdom of God…… So just remember that whatever you do ,, do it to the glory of God.

I actually want to get Rosaceaea surgery on my face,, I’m 18 years old and Ive just finished having really bad acne and I dont like being reminded of my overeating which gave me this acne and therefore scars… these red veins are not cool.. But I juss know I gotta remember,, do all to the glory of God…..
But I know that God wants the best for me… So Im just praying for an answer……..

P.S God will clothe you!

Whether we want to admit this or not, we are in crisis times in the church. God is perfect, as is His love (His love is everlasting). However, people are far from perfect, even those in the church. People are vulnerable to plastic surgery and all kinds of “altering” because those are the times we live in. Altering occurs on many levels. Women born brunettes dye their hair blonde. Women with curly/kinky hair relax it straight. Men dye their grays. People get their ears pierced. No one was born with these things, but they altered themselves.

I think the issue is not whether someone gets augmented or altered, but why. A person’s heart is equally important in God’s eyes as their actions.

And as I said before, the church is in a crisis, particularly when it comes to its singles. Yes, the church wants to stuff everyone with the idea that if you are single, it’s God’s gift to you. And for some, this is the truth. However, to believe that God intended for all these single people to be single is not a truth. And singleness affects women more than men, particularly as they age. Many women may (mistakenly or otherwise) believe that they must remain beautiful to “catch” a man, even a Christian man. Because many Christian men are looking at the same things as worldly men (looks then personality).

I’m not using this as an excuse to alter every little thing you don’t like about yourself, but it does give food for thought. I’ve never had any “work” done, but I do sympathize with those that have.

Don’t fuss over it. There are Christian cosmetic surgeons. If you find a good one and can find the cash, I say go for it. :) After all we cut our hair when it get’s wild or too long and unruly. We pluck our eyebrows and the strange grey hairs that migrate to the chin as we get older. Most of us shave our legs and under our arms. We can do a lot of socially presentable activities and personal vanity items in moderation.